Joe Fresh shift dress; J. Crew tweed blazer
Dress, Joe Fresh; blazer, J. Crew Factory; shoes, Stuart Weitzman; bag, Marc Jacobs

Last week, it seemed like it was Valentine’s Day every day. All over my IG feed and Bloglovin, peeps were dressing and prepping and decorating seemingly forever. Now, it may be the fact that I was really not in the right frame of mind (the kids have been sick a lot lately, and I’m in the middle of a extra major file), but I’ve never felt more out of sync with the Zeitgeist, so to speak. Am I the only person who doesn’t get the big deal about Valentine’s Day? I don’t even mean in a but-what-about-the-poor-singletons way. (Although I feel your pain, singleton friends. I managed to be single for Valentine’s Day for the first 26 years of my life.) But if you take away the consumerist aspect – if you’re too damn busy to bother with candy, and flowers, and dinners, at that particular time – what’s left of the whole production? /rhetorical question

Anyway, this is all by way of unnecessarily long introduction to the explanation of my outfit. I wore absolutely nothing thematic last week at work. Forget pink; not even a little bit of red. Part of it had to do with my general apathy about VD (see above), and part of it had to do with work. I don’t know how to say this without sounding obnoxious, but sometimes working in a professional capacity in a fairly conservative office is not conducive to fashion blogging gimmicks, like thematic outfits. It’s just too … cutesy. I think a subtle nod – a red accessory for VD, a bit of plaid for Christmas – is probably OK, but I wouldn’t go any further … if I were to go there at all. I don’t know, maybe I’m over-thinking it.

Joe Fresh shift dress; J. Crew tweed blazer
blue, black & grey all the way

Back to the outfit. As much as I’m sticking to subdued colours and simple outfits lately, I’m really enjoying subtle print mixing (as a way to add a bit of interest) and playing with the little details …

Joe Fresh shift dress; J. Crew tweed blazer
necklace via consignment)

… that probably no one but me notices. I am easily amused.

Joe Fresh shift dress; J. Crew tweed blazer
Bye, bye, Valentine

8 Comments on Anti-Valentine

  1. I love your outfit, exspecially the printed blouse and your subtle nail art! But I think a black or gray bag would have looked even better with it.
    I also have a strong apathy against Valentines Day and agree that some things don’t belong in the office. How do you want to be taken serious if you’re wearing pink hearts allover?

    • It’s actually a dress! I know, it does look like separates, doesn’t it? I think you’re right about the bag, but I had to lug a lot of files and junk to work that day, and the Stella is one of my biggest bags – practicality won out over style that day.

      • Never would have guessed it’s a dress!
        Yeah, I know that bag situation and often end up making compromises because a bag is the right size or I don’t have the time to repack.

  2. We don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. In fact I think robin went to bed early with a migraine! I think I wore red last week…. My running kit! Ha ha Yep don’t get the big deal at all. Go you anti-Valentine dresser 😉

    • Hahaha! Well, I usually like an opportunity to get some chocolate as much as the next girl, but I’ve sworn off chocolate for now (I know! It’s hard!), so maybe that’s why I was so anti-VD this year, lol!

  3. I was about to say how much I liked your shirt/dress combination. Then I went back and read all the words… Are those pink gems in your ring? That would be the extent of the V-day dressing up that I would do for my office as well. Maybe red or pink nails too.

    We go out for a cheap dinner because everyone is doing it and like to see town all buzzing. And we don’t do gifts – instead we send our moms flowers and our dads chocolate or cookies.

  4. Love this blazer – it looks so sharp! I might have to get myself one of those.

    Valentine’s was kind of a bust this year as the hubs & I were too sick to enjoy. So we had a fancy dinner on Monday night instead!

    I usually try to dress thematically but wanted to wear my new navy scarf last Friday instead, so it was all navy and grey. I think I wore my heart-printed socks on the actual day, so that has to count for something. I will be busting out my lime green cardigan (and only green in my wardrobe!) for St. Pat’s in March, however. I have 4-leaf-clover patterned green socks too.

  5. I am VERY into this outfit. Like, top five of yours maybe. I’m not even sure what it is, other than the silhouette is bangin’ on you. I can’t believe that’s a dress, and I looooove the way the blazer fits over it.

    Also, your mani? Suuuuuper cool. V into it.

    xo nicole